had fayland ears; which means, he could hear all
sounds from A to Z; while common ears, like yours and mine, hear only
the middle sounds from K to Q.

Everything that lives and moves is giving out music; every flower that
blooms is singing its song. We cannot hear, our ears are too dull; but
King Solomon could. And one day, as he walked through the woods, he
heard a new flower-song that made him stop and listen. It had strange
music with it, and part of that was a chime of golden bells.

[Illustration: The Bells of the Solomon Seal]

The great King sat down on a bank. His fayland eyes could see right into
the ground. He saw the fat fleshy root like a little goblin, reaching
its long white fingers down into the soil, picking out the magic
crystals to pack away in its pockets; and he could see the tall stem
like a wood-elf carrying them up, and spreading them upon its flat
hands, so they could soak up the juices of the sun and air. He could see
them turning into a wonderful stuff like amber dew, with a tang like
new-cut timber. But it was not yet done, so he could not tell just what
it might be good for. Now it was springtime, and it would be harvest red
moon before the little worker would have the magic healing stored in its
treasure bags underground. So to prevent any one harming or hindering
the plant till its work was done, the King took out his seal ring and
stamped seal marks all along the root, where they are unto this day. And
then to make it sure he made the golden bell chimes become visible so
every one could see them. There they hang like a row of ringing bells.

But the King never came back to learn the rest of it, for he had to
build the temple; and he had many wives who took up a great deal of his
time. So the world has never found out just what is the magic power of
the plant. But it is there, be sure of that, just as surely as the peal
of golden bells is there, and the marks of the great King's Seal.

TALE 16

The Silver Bells of the False Solomon Seal

[Illustration: The Silver Bells of the False Solomon Seal]

Over a month later, the King suddenly remembered that he had not been
out to see the plant whose root he had sealed. He was very busy at the
time, as he had the temple to build, and many wives to look after; so he
called Djin, a good goblin, who does hard work and said, "Go and see
that no one has harmed that plant," then told him how to find it.

Away went the good goblin, like a flash.